Won't Break you

"Fuck." he muttered as the screw stripped completely. He threw the socket wrench down and stepped back one hand running over his face in frustration.
He could not concentrate. Thoughts flew all over in a conflicting jumble.
The one consistent thought in his head was her.
Everything he thought about circled back to that gorgeous little thing that he wanted so badly.
He wanted to show her the stupid screw that stripped. Hear her ideas of getting it out and then her tirade of how rude the screw was to do that to him.
He grinned and sipped his drink. That girl could make him laugh at his darkest time.
He laughed and thought about their ongoing cartoon discussion on what cartoon was better than the other. God she was amazing

"Hey what's so funny?"

He looked up to see his friend walk into the garage.
"Nothing...just fucked up a screw." he sighed and then stood up.

"Nah, You are thinking about her again aren't you?" his friend said as he came and sat on another stool nearby.

He nodded and sat back down, pulling his hat off his head and running a hand through his hair.
"I can't stop thinking about her. I think about what could be and then what can't be. It sucks. But the thought of her not being in my life is something I am not sure I can handle."

"You want to be happy?" his friend said watching him closely.

"Yeah sure but hell the situation is just one disaster waiting to happen. This won't last and with all the crazy factors involved......" he trailed off and sighed feeling the pain wash over him.
"I don't want to be hurt again. I've been through that shit and this one feels like it could break me completely if something happened."

His friend stood and laid a hand on his shoulder and then said quietly.

"She won't break you like those other girls will. That's exactly why you're terrified of her. She could make you happy. And you know being happy is the most terrifying thing in the universe. Once you're happy it can be taken from you."

He looked at him, hearing the words and letting them sink in. He continued.

"But look at you now. You are not happy. You want to run and sink yourself into work again to not think, to not live. Sometimes you have to just take a chance. If it all goes sideways you will know you tried. But what if it works out? I know its different, this situation but dude what if it works out?"

He felt something inside him come to life at those words.
Truth.